The Arbroath Thread

[afc_36_0]

Some result, important after our poor run and delighted for the team especially after the disappointment of wednesday  

[Housecaptain]

Brilliant result where we have never been that successful. 

Bit of luck against Norton and Raith and we would have been another 2 points to the good. 

Well done to the players and manager. 

[ecto]

Quick question, why has our highlights channel changed on YouTube?

[lichtie23]

Jess Norey - BALLER 

[Tattie36]

That’s quite a weird wee fact - we’re the only team in the league without a draw so far this season. Quite the change from last season in particular.

[timlichtie]

Am I right in thinking that Scott Stewart has played left back in all our wins?

[1320Lichtie]

Still in Inverness  

 

That is an incredible performance from 14 guys. Outstanding attitude, commitment and best of all organisation and trying to play football - we have a lot more of the ball now so don’t waste our energy chasing everything 

 

Jay Bird is a fuckin player and Hylton is a class above 

[lichtiekev]

It was a bitter blow to not get something out that game, to then go again on Saturday with a depleted squad and win is outstanding, 

In such a short space of time you can see the difference in the way we play and hopefully we can get a few new players in January that fit the way we want to play. 

 

 

[relichtie]

Sorry to have missed this match today, but what a result. With some decent recruitment in January, we can get out of this position and get to mid table at least. One swallow doesn't make a summer but it's often the start , and let's hope this result is the catalyst to our revival. Cmon Lichties

[SimonLichtie]

Excellent stuff. A well deserved 3 points - it's been a while

Every player put absolutely everything into that to get the points and it seems like they really took the positives from Wednesday as opposed to getting too down about it. To be honest - in terms of quality Inverness are clearly a level above us currently. Their ability to move the ball around quickly and to break forward at pace means they're much more of a threat going forward than us, but we managed to nullify them for large spells of the game and score two good goals. We really dug in to get the 3 points in the second half and overall it was a superb team performance.

I personally disagree with all of the 'Dick left us in a terrible mess' stuff. I think we've got 13-14 players at the club who range from low level Championship players who can do the job too high level Championship players we're lucky to have (Hylton and Bird). Obviously it's more likely Hylton goes than stays, but regardless I think we need to add 5 or 6 in the window, with several moving on also. We are missing some key players in key positions, but I think we've got 8 or 9 of a starting 11 already. If we can add the right 2 or 3 definite starters to the best 11 we have, as well as obviously bulking the squad out and giving ourselves the ability to make the subs a game warrents as opposed to what we have available regardless I think we'll be in as good as position as the others around us come the end of January.

I felt it was the right time for Dick to leave because we should've been doing better with the squad we have - regardless of the holes that need addressed in January. Ultimately I didn't feel like he was able to motivate the players the way he could previously, and it was clearly showing in our performances. Obviously time will tell, but it looks like McIntyre has been able to motivate and organise the team better in his 3 games than Dick had been in his last 3 games in charge and I think that's been the biggest factor in our gradual improvement over that period. He's working with the same squad, one that's actually even more injury ravaged. The players we have available are not bad players, they're just several bodies short of being a squad. That is mainly down to having our worst season injury wise in years and partly down to Dick.

[SmokeyJoe]

18 minutes ago, SimonLichtie said:

Excellent stuff. A well deserved 3 points - it's been a while

Every player put absolutely everything into that to get the points and it seems like they really took the positives from Wednesday as opposed to getting too down about it. To be honest - in terms of quality Inverness are clearly a level above us currently. Their ability to move the ball around quickly and to break forward at pace means they're much more of a threat going forward than us, but we managed to nullify them for large spells of the game and score two good goals. We really dug in to get the 3 points in the second half and overall it was a superb team performance.

I personally disagree with all of the 'Dick left us in a terrible mess' stuff. I think we've got 13-14 players at the club who range from low level Championship players who can do the job too high level Championship players we're lucky to have (Hylton and Bird). Obviously it's more likely Hylton goes than stays, but regardless I think we need to add 5 or 6 in the window, with several moving on also. We are missing some key players in key positions, but I think we've got 8 or 9 of a starting 11 already. If we can add the right 2 or 3 definite starters to the best 11 we have, as well as obviously bulking the squad out and giving ourselves the ability to make the subs a game warrents as opposed to what we have available regardless I think we'll be in as good as position as the others around us come the end of January.

I felt it was the right time for Dick to leave because we should've been doing better with the squad we have - regardless of the holes that need addressed in January. Ultimately I didn't feel like he was able to motivate the players the way he could previously, and it was clearly showing in our performances. Obviously time will tell, but it looks like McIntyre has been able to motivate and organise the team better in his 3 games than Dick had been in his last 3 games in charge and I think that's been the biggest factor in our gradual improvement over that period. He's working with the same squad, one that's actually even more injury ravaged. The players we have available are not bad players, they're just several bodies short of being a squad. That is mainly down to having our worst season injury wise in years and partly down to Dick.

Understand the dick in a mess comments the recruitment has been better but it’s the balance of a squad that’s been a disaster. 4 defenders 3 fit one long term injury. Far too many centre mids hoping the plug the gaps and no width in midfield. Dick had his limitations in “the newer market “ and this season proved too much unfortunately. I’m glad the change made when it was and look forward to the next month ahead 

[SimonLichtie]

3 minutes ago, SmokeyJoe said:

Understand the dick in a mess comments the recruitment has been better but it’s the balance of a squad that’s been a disaster. 4 defenders 3 fit one long term injury. Far too many centre mids hoping the plug the gaps and no width in midfield. Dick had his limitations in “the newer market “ and this season proved too much unfortunately. I’m glad the change made when it was and look forward to the next month ahead 

Agree with all of this - I think in the summer we signed better players than we had been previously, but Dick ultimately put together a worse team.

[SmokeyJoe]

9 minutes ago, SimonLichtie said:

Agree with all of this - I think in the summer we signed better players than we had been previously, but Dick ultimately put together a worse team.

Yeah absolutely. He did what we generally asked but unfortunately it never worked out. Dick leaving us was always going to happen,  unfortunately it happened during a campaign. In hindsight he could of /probably should of left in summer but it never and hopefully it happened at the right time so jim has plenty time to assess the squad which i presume he understands what he needs after last few games

[ExiledLichtie]

42 minutes ago, SimonLichtie said:

Excellent stuff. A well deserved 3 points - it's been a while

Every player put absolutely everything into that to get the points and it seems like they really took the positives from Wednesday as opposed to getting too down about it. To be honest - in terms of quality Inverness are clearly a level above us currently. Their ability to move the ball around quickly and to break forward at pace means they're much more of a threat going forward than us, but we managed to nullify them for large spells of the game and score two good goals. We really dug in to get the 3 points in the second half and overall it was a superb team performance.

I personally disagree with all of the 'Dick left us in a terrible mess' stuff. I think we've got 13-14 players at the club who range from low level Championship players who can do the job too high level Championship players we're lucky to have (Hylton and Bird). Obviously it's more likely Hylton goes than stays, but regardless I think we need to add 5 or 6 in the window, with several moving on also. We are missing some key players in key positions, but I think we've got 8 or 9 of a starting 11 already. If we can add the right 2 or 3 definite starters to the best 11 we have, as well as obviously bulking the squad out and giving ourselves the ability to make the subs a game warrents as opposed to what we have available regardless I think we'll be in as good as position as the others around us come the end of January.

I felt it was the right time for Dick to leave because we should've been doing better with the squad we have - regardless of the holes that need addressed in January. Ultimately I didn't feel like he was able to motivate the players the way he could previously, and it was clearly showing in our performances. Obviously time will tell, but it looks like McIntyre has been able to motivate and organise the team better in his 3 games than Dick had been in his last 3 games in charge and I think that's been the biggest factor in our gradual improvement over that period. He's working with the same squad, one that's actually even more injury ravaged. The players we have available are not bad players, they're just several bodies short of being a squad. That is mainly down to having our worst season injury wise in years and partly down to Dick.

I agree with most of this, my rationale for wanting a change in management was that we weren't getting the best out of the players we had, which I felt was also the case last season.  Many of the players (not you Deri!) were better than I think Dick's line ups and tactics made them look.  In terms of the players we signed in the summer, I don't think we can say there were any flops.  The three most disliked players amongst the fanbase are probably Turan, Norey, and Jacobs, but I don't think any of them have put a foot wrong when they've been given chances this season.  So our signings were very good.  But once again, the management hasn't got the best out of them, apart from one excellent run when it all seemed to click.  I'm hopeful that McIntyre will get a tune out of what are a squad of good players.

However, the defensive aspect has been a farce.  We have never replaced  Liam Henderson, and for three transfer windows, we rode our luck.  We knew we were understaffed in defence, and surely the management must have been able to see that Ricky Little was slowing down, it wasn't like it was sudden.  Someone like Steele should have been a signing to come off the bench and start occasional games while learning the ropes alongside ToB in his first season, although, of course, that wouldn't have happened, because the Campbells seemed incapable of coaching anyone under 27.  For three transfer windows we didn't plug the leaks, they just crossed our fingers, hoped for the best, and watched it get worse and worse.  And that's the "terrible mess" we've been left with.
 

[TheRoundO]

3 hours ago, timlichtie said:

Am I right in thinking that Scott Stewart has played left back in all our wins?

I thought he was a terrible left back at first but then…. Magic. 

[TheRoundO]

1 hour ago, SimonLichtie said:

Excellent stuff. A well deserved 3 points - it's been a while

Every player put absolutely everything into that to get the points and it seems like they really took the positives from Wednesday as opposed to getting too down about it. To be honest - in terms of quality Inverness are clearly a level above us currently. Their ability to move the ball around quickly and to break forward at pace means they're much more of a threat going forward than us, but we managed to nullify them for large spells of the game and score two good goals. We really dug in to get the 3 points in the second half and overall it was a superb team performance.

I personally disagree with all of the 'Dick left us in a terrible mess' stuff. I think we've got 13-14 players at the club who range from low level Championship players who can do the job too high level Championship players we're lucky to have (Hylton and Bird). Obviously it's more likely Hylton goes than stays, but regardless I think we need to add 5 or 6 in the window, with several moving on also. We are missing some key players in key positions, but I think we've got 8 or 9 of a starting 11 already. If we can add the right 2 or 3 definite starters to the best 11 we have, as well as obviously bulking the squad out and giving ourselves the ability to make the subs a game warrents as opposed to what we have available regardless I think we'll be in as good as position as the others around us come the end of January.

I felt it was the right time for Dick to leave because we should've been doing better with the squad we have - regardless of the holes that need addressed in January. Ultimately I didn't feel like he was able to motivate the players the way he could previously, and it was clearly showing in our performances. Obviously time will tell, but it looks like McIntyre has been able to motivate and organise the team better in his 3 games than Dick had been in his last 3 games in charge and I think that's been the biggest factor in our gradual improvement over that period. He's working with the same squad, one that's actually even more injury ravaged. The players we have available are not bad players, they're just several bodies short of being a squad. That is mainly down to having our worst season injury wise in years and partly down to Dick.

All very sensible, but did leave us with a squad lacking depth in defence and quality in midfield and playing agricultural football. 

[timlichtie]

Anyone heard how Balde is getting on at East Kilbride?

[DUAFC]

Or Scott Allan....

[timlichtie]

1 hour ago, timlichtie said:

Anyone heard how Balde is getting on at East Kilbride?

Answer to my own question. He started against Celtic B yesterday and scored in a 2 nil win for EK.

[Hayshead2]

15 minutes ago, timlichtie said:

Answer to my own question. He started against Celtic B yesterday and scored in a 2 nil win for EK.

He also scored the previous week v Gala.